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Emma gripped Vaughn’s arm. “What’s going on? Who is she? What’s wrong?”
Vaughn turned to Emma. “This woman is Beth. My sister.”
Emma shifted to stare at the prisoner. “You mean, Loghry’s had her all this time?”
Vaughn nodded.
Emma put her hand to her chest. “Oh, dear God.”
The woman’s wild movements had ceased, though she still clung to the bars of the cell with her hands. She bore a specific sign of a vampire who took blood from a drug-addicted host. The usual flame markings were broken up and had a spotty look, which meant she didn’t take the drug herself. Even her bare wrists and arms showed the mottled flame markings. All of Five Bridges knew Loghry was addicted to amethyst flame.
A masculine voice called from across the central area of the labyrinth. “Well, Emma, isn’t this a delightful coincidence? I brought Beth to Loghry, you stole the triplets from Loghry with Officer Vaughn’s help, and now here’s Vaughn’s sister trapped in the labyrinth. It’s as though we’ve all come full circle. Sometimes the alter life can be damn poetic.”
Emma recognized Dagen’s voice, but when she turned to scan the area, she couldn’t see him. She drew close to Vaughn, but her hand went to the butt of her Sig.
Movement near the cage holding the teens drew Emma’s gaze. Dagen stepped into one of the pale circles of light. He held an AR-15, supported by both hands.
Vaughn slowly turned to face Dagen. “You did this to my sister? You abducted Beth? But I watched vampires carry her into the air.”
“What can I say? Those vampires owed me. Loghry wanted your sister, those men were in deep to him and I gave them a way out of the mess they’d made. Eventually, I had to kill them off, of course, because you were so persistent in your efforts to find your sister. Such remarkable sibling affection.”
Dagen’s gaze slid from Vaughn to Emma. “As for events of last night, Emma, you’ve finally worn out Loghry’s patience and I can’t protect you anymore.” His nostrils flared. “I think you’ve been extremely foolish in choosing Vaughn because you and I could have become a real power couple in Five Bridges. Instead, your Border Patrol officer will never be able to keep you safe in our world. Very stupid, if you ask me.”
“Nobody’s asking.”
“Your funeral.”
She glanced at Vaughn. She could see he was still in shock about his sister’s fate. He even turned away from Dagen and faced Beth once more.
But Beth had begun to climb the bars of the cell again, holding on with her toes and fingers then swinging wildly back and forth like an ape. She shrieked long and loud, making a sound Emma didn’t think possible for a woman to utter, not even an alter female.
“Just ignore the vampire. I want your weapons in the dirt. Both of you. Now.”
Emma ignored his order. She wanted the whole truth first because in this moment she didn’t care if she lived or died. “Did you kill Max? And I’d appreciate a straight answer this time. After all, there’s no reason not to tell me now.”
Dagen’s lips turned down. “That bastard was squeaky clean and the wrong kind of leader for our pack. I had no choice but to put him down.”
Emma worked at breathing. She wanted to claw Dagen’s face off, to hurt him, to destroy him. “He was a good man who wanted his pack to thrive. And he wanted at least part of Savage Territory not to be in league with the cartels or wizards like Loghry. He stood for something good, decent and honorable.”
Dagen moved slowly in her direction, his rifle loose in his hands. He didn’t seem worried at all and he definitely didn’t care.
That’s when Emma realized he’d brought a force with him. She could feel the warlocks drawing closer to the central cage area even as Dagen moved. “You understand so little about Five Bridges. Don’t you get it, Emma? You would have died a long time ago if it weren’t for me. Until tonight, Loghry has allowed you to keep breathing because I asked him to leave you alone. I see that surprises you. But do you honestly believe that Savage Territory is held together by honor among the packs? Hah. I do a lot of favors and spend a helluva lot of money so that the cartels will allow us to roam our forests without injury.
“As for Loghry, the wizard has known you were a threat for a very long time, something having to do with his gift of prescience. That he values my service should tell you a lot. And despite his wish to get rid of you, he’s allowing me to make you a final offer. You get one last chance. If you come with me now, you’ll move to Savage and live with me. You’ll submit to me. If not—” He gestured to the cage holding Beth. “You’ll be food for Loghry’s favorite pet.”
Emma stared at Dagen, at the confident set of his shoulders and the way he held his chin high. He was a man in charge of the situation, holding both her life and Vaughn’s in his sleazy hands. “You’ve been frank with me so let me return the favor. I’d rather eat shards of glass than spend a second as your woman. And that’s the choice I make tonight. Have I made myself clear?”
Disgust drew Dagen’s cheeks back. “You’ve looked down on me from the first. But it’s Max who’s dead, not me.”
“Because you killed him, you bastard. So do whatever it is you’re going to do. I won’t submit to you, not now, not ever. Death would be preferable.”
He stared at her for a long, hard moment. “You fucking bitch.”
Those words brought Vaughn from his shocked out state. “How about you and I battle, right here, Dagen, and see who deserves Emma.”
Dagen merely smiled. “We’ll be batting all right, but it will be on my terms.” He then lifted his hand and made a swirling gesture.
